Told by the Pioneers - Washington Secretary of State

A Little Incident
Told by the Pioneers
The Nez Perce Indians still trail back and forth to Idaho, but in the
early days they were to be seen on the trails all the time. They have
no respect for the white man and less for his belongings. A man by
name of Dillman lived in Rattlesnake Canyon. He had a nice little
bunch of horses. The Idaho Indians saw a good saddle horse in the
band, roped him, and took him along. Dillman got mad, saddled and
chased them. He did not overtake them until on the grade this side
of Lewiston. He demanded his horse and shot Mox-mox's arm off to
show he was in earnest. Dillman got his horse. Mox-mox, with one
arm, lived to be an old man.
Indians
General Howard, in the last big battle between the whites and Indians,
rounded up Chief Joseph and his tribe at Steptoe Butte. 'rhe
Indians got away in the most remarkable retreat in history. They
took their squaws and all their possessions over what would seem
impassable trails. They were captured at the British line. Chief
Joseph had killed a good many whites. He was just as mean as an Indian
could be. Even after the trouble was over, he was the most
haughty chief in the west. One could see the spirit that was in him
against the white man. His" Halo kumtux" was all he ever spoke.
Joseph and 30 of his braves, the meanest of them, were banished to
Alabama. Half of them died. The rest were returned to the South
Half of the Colville Reservation. Joseph died there a few years ago.
Moses was the most friendly toward the whites, of all the Indian
chieftains, but was pretty mean at times. The government tried to
do the right thing by Moses and his people. Attempts were made to
teach them agriculture, but more and more the country settled, their
hunting grounds were fenced in, and mowing machines, harnesses,
wag'ons, and seed were shipped in to gradually take the place of the
hunting and trail equipment with which the Indian was familiar.
The San Pail Indians were suspicious of the motives of the government
and in many ways were far behind the Yakimas. Moses' people
came and took their allotments, but the San Poil Indians left their machinery
on the bar at Stevenson's Ferry, seven miles below the big
dam. Consequently, the expensive equipment left on the bar was exposed
to weather conditions and thieves, for twelve months, until it
was stolen, mostly by whites. People came from as far away as ,Vaterville
to take it.
Civilization
Farming experts were sent out to show the Indians how to farm
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